


Sam doesn't know

by AliceInMarveland



Series: The Lesson Serie [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A cat named Destiel, Adorable baby bots, Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes is a little shit, But a bit dopey, Christmas Tree, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Avengers, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Feel-good, Humor, M/M, Overhearing sex without knowing, POV Sam Wilson, Possessive Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, So is Sam, Steve Rogers' BFF Battle, Steve is so done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 21:23:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13016406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceInMarveland/pseuds/AliceInMarveland
Summary: “I’m hurt Rogers! Here I thought we were best buddies, how could you do me like this, man?” he asked with a dramatic gasp -totally cribbed from Tony. He’s spent enough time with the billionaire, he might as well use Stark’s constant diva behaviour to his advantage.He hadn’t planned for Bucky’s reaction, but it was priceless.Bucky glared at Sam with murderous eyes and slung his own arm around the blond. “Hey, you heard Steve. Place taken, Birdman.”Steve chuckled, “Aw c’mon, are you really- I can have two best friends, can’t I?”“Shaddup Steve, this is between Wilson and I.”5 times Sam thought he was in a petty-but-fun contest against Barnes to know who was Steve's true real BFF + 1 he didn't





	Sam doesn't know

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys ! 
> 
> This is a bonus from A Lesson in Seduction, set after chapter 3 but you don't need to have read it before to understand.
> 
> Massive thank you at nnniallwhoran who beta-ed this story and mad eit so much better_ you're the best.
> 
> This is a gift to the amazing Kinkajou who kindly offered to beta ALIS and who amkes such gorgeous NSFW works, hope you'll like it *hides*
> 
> Idea taken from buckkybbarnes prompt on TUMBLR
> 
> Enjoy !

Sam Wilson had grown up with animal lovers. His father was a vet and all his early-childhood had been full of various pets, from dogs and cats, to a turtle called Oscar. Sam himself was quite friendly to animals, as long as they didn’t try to bite or scratch him. Steve, on the other hand, didn’t give a damn if an animal was growling at him, he’d approach it kindly all the same. Sam would bet he’d even try to cuddle an alligator if given half the chance. But hey, it sounded logical that Captain America, superhero and symbol of righteousness and kindness, was as dedicated to animals as he was to people.  
   
Sam remembered one time in particular when they’d both gone on their morning run. They were on their way back to the Tower when Steve had stopped. The blond had spotted a stray cat, a kitten really, frail and too thin under its dirty black fur. It was limping and looked clearly malnourished.  
   
Steve had approached and squat down next to it, offering his opened palm, “Hey there, buddy. I’m not going to hurt you.” The kitten had hissed aggressively, tensing like it thought it was about to get hurt. “I’m not gonna hurt you” Steve had repeated, all calm voice and gentle smiles. The stray had hissed again and scratched the offered finger.  
   
“Hey, you okay?” Sam had asked, a bit worried. He had seen Steve’s back clench at the pain and heard an aborted grunt, but the blond hadn’t yelled. He had thought Steve was being a bit irresponsible; the alley cat could have parasites or diseases, and the supersoldier shouldn’t have allowed the contact.   
   
And then, slowly, Sam had seen the kitten’s ears lower, like the animal was feeling sheepish. It had come over to sniff at the blond’s still opened hand, and eventually, had rubbed its head against his palm.  
   
“There, see?” Steve had crooned, scratching between the cat’s ears. “Good boy. You don’t look like someone’s taking care of you, huh?”  
   
Sam had grinned, amused. Even thought he had already known Steve Rogers was a real sweetheart, seeing 220 pounds of pure muscle cooing at a kitten was endearingly funny. “Should I start calling you Brigitte Bardot?” he had teased. Steve had glanced at him like he’d just talked in another language “She’s an actress who is known for rehabilitating all the abandoned pets she found. And for having been really bangable a long time ago. You should add her movies to your list.”  
   
Steve had stood then, cuddling the cat in his arms. Sam had raised an eyebrow, “Wait, you’re actually planning on keeping it?”  
   
Steve had shrugged, “It’s just a kitten, and have you seen how malnourished he looks? Plus, a bit of company in the apartment won’t do me any wrong.”  
   
“You think Stark’ll be okay with it? We’re all kinda crashing under his roof.”  
   
Steve had kept stroking the now purring ball of fur. “Never said we couldn’t have pets. We’ve got enough space. And if we can have adorable but clumsy as hell robots in the Tower, why couldn’t we have a cat? ‘S not like this one is at risk to set an entire floor on fire.”  
   
And that’s how Sam had attended to Captain America bringing a stray kitten to the Avengers Tower, headquarter of the Avengers and also home of the whole team as well.  
   
So really, in hindsight, he shouldn’t have been surprised.  
   
———————  
   
Rogers, Natasha, and Sam had been looking for Barnes for a long time after Steve had discovered his best buddy was still alive. Sam had been the one to point out that they’d never caught the Winter Soldier; they’d find him when -thats to say _if-_ he wanted to be found. Still, they kept looking for any clue, any intel leading to the shadow of a man. And even if there had been a hope for Bucky to come back willingly, Sam had doubted it would happen any time soon.  
   
So really, picture that. One day Sam had said to Steve he didn’t felt like going with him on his run the following day, just coming back from a particularly exhausting mission. Said following day, Sam -nicely rested and sipping his coffee in the common kitchen of the Tower with a far too dynamic and already babbling about his latest experiment Tony- saw his friend coming back with not another stray (then again…), but with a very tense, very scarred, and very scared looking well known man.  
   
Sam spurt out his drink. Tony, absorbed into noting ideas on his StarkPad, hadn’t bothered to raise his head until then, “You swallowed a bad birdseed Wil- oh.”  
   
In one second, they all stopped in an uncomfortable silence.  
  
The tension in Barnes’ shoulders grew, Tony stared sharply at the super soldiers. Steve tensed at that, and Sam tried to decide what strategy adopt. The newcomer, even though he didn’t appear like a menace at the moment, was still the Winter Soldier. Sam didn’t want to engage in violence, but he had to be ready to pounce on Barnes if he suddenly turned back into an assassin.  
   
Then Steve took a step forward without getting too far away from Barnes. Just forward enough to shield him, Sam understood. He was protecting him.  
   
And Sam realised, too, how unsure Bucky looked. The (former?) assassin’s body language screamed fear and shame. And that made sense. After all, the last time they’d seen him, Barnes was on the enemies side trying to kill them, and now the Winter Soldier, unarmed in his sweatshirt and baggy pants, stood surrounded by the Avengers. If he’d wanted to attack them, it would have been a suicide mission.  
   
And strangely enough, suddenly, Barnes reminded Sam of the stray black kitten. Less cute and far deadlier, but with the same undertone of uncertainty, and fear of being hurt.  
   
Sam had seen the Winter Soldier’s dossier. He had seen the tortures, the electrocutions, the brainwashing, the experiments, the freezing. And right at this moment, Sam could see the silver arm.  
  
It took a heartbeat but had felt like an eternity.  
   
Carefully, Steve took a breath, “Guys. I brought a friend.”  
   
Suddenly, the tension dissipated. “Ah, finally!” Tony exclaimed before looking back at his screen, “Took you long enough to join, Robocop.”  
   
Sam saw Barnes blink, like he was trying to understand. And Sam couldn’t blame him: if it were him, he would have been dubious about Tony’s easiness too. But it was simple enough to play along: Tony was showing his acceptance, his willingness to treat Bucky as one of them.  
   
Sam smiled warmly at the frowning man and offered him a cup of coffee. Steve broke into a huge, thankful smile, “Sounds good!”  
  
Right on cue, Natasha entered - Sam was almost sure he saw her tucking a butterfly-knife back in her pocket. Always ready to strike if she sensed danger, especially when Steve was blind to it. But she greeted them with a smile, “Morning guys. How about pancakes?”  
   
That had been one of the strangest breakfast of Sam Wilson’s life. But also, it all went extremely smoothly.  
   
A bit later, he heard Steve talking with Tony. “Not that I’m complaining but… you’ve all been so… accepting. I was expecting a lot more of surprise. To not say a fight.”  
  
“We knew you'd eventually lay a hand on your fossil Soviet buddy and that he'd need a place to crash. Since you live here, even someone less smart than me would have guessed,” Stark shrugged, still fumbling with his tablet. He then threw a key card at Bucky saying, “That’s a spare of Steve’s, I figured you two grandpas would prefer to share.”  
   
And little by little, Barnes had fit in. Everybody in the Tower tried to help him adjust in their own way, to make him feel, if not normal, at least accepted.  
   
In Sam’s case, it meant treat him like he would treat any other war veteran. Gradually, Bucky had unfolded, allowed Sam to call him “Bucky” and not “James”, had agreed to go on a run with him and Steve once in a while and only on extremely rare occasions, and talked with him alone. But there wasn’t a real bond between them. There wasn’t a real bond between Bucky and any one else than Steve. Sam knew it pained the latter to see Bucky shutting down any other possible friendship. “I don’t want him to be alone,” Steve had once confessed, “and I don’t feel like I can be enough.”  
   
Sam couldn’t agree more. First because Bucky needed to open up more if he wanted to get better, and Steve shouldn’t feel like he was the only support his friend could rely on. That was too much pressure and Lord knows how the man already had enough guilt issues.  
   
But how to create a bond with someone that could barely communicate with anyone?  
   
The idea popped into Sam’s head by accident.  
   
He and Steve were back from a morning run, and Bucky was already in the kitchen, frying bacon while the cat -Destiel, Steve had called it-  was eating from its bowl. It had gained weight and was cuddly as hell now.  
   
When he saw them, Bucky stopped what he was doing to make a coffee. The long-haired man dropped one sugar in a mug before handing it to Steve. Automatically, Sam plucked another white brittle cube and dropped it in the cup.  
   
Bucky frowned, “It was for Steve.”  
   
“I know,” Sam had replied, “that’s why I did it. He always takes two sugars.”  
   
Bucky shook his head “No, I remember he always only took one.”  
   
“Actually, Buck…” Steve started, taking a sip, “Now I take two. Guess I’m more of a sweet-tooth now.”  
   
Sam laughed, “Yeah, you’re plenty sweet. Now shoo off so I can have my own miracle beverage.”  
   
While he was fixing himself his own cup, Sam had seen Bucky’s expression from the corner of his eye. The ex-assassin’s brow was creased and wait, was he actually pouting?!  
   
Steve just laughed it off, “Don’t worry Buck, you remember just fine, I just became greedier.”  
   
Bucky looked down and muttered, “Yeah, but I thought I was finally starting to remember you…”  
   
Sam caught the pain in his voice, and in Steve’s eyes at that. “Buck… It’s not like it’s important. Of course you know me, you’re my best friend.”  
   
But Barnes asked rhetorically, “How can I pretend to be your best friend when I tried to kill you?”  
   
To nip the angst in the bud before if fully unfurled, Sam turned around with his mug in one hand, and slumped an arm around Steve’s shoulder, “I’m hurt Rogers! Here I thought we were best buddies, how could you do me like this, man?” he asked with a dramatic gasp -totally cribbed from Tony. He’s spent enough time with the billionaire, he might as well use Stark’s constant diva behaviour to his advantage.  
   
He hadn’t planned for Bucky’s reaction, but it was priceless.  
   
Bucky glared at Sam with murderous eyes and slung his own arm around the blond. “Hey, you heard Steve. Place taken, Birdman.”  
   
Steve chuckled, “Aw c’mon, are you really- I can have two best friends, can’t I?”  
   
“Shaddup Steve, this is between Wilson and I.”  
   
Sam beamed. It was so atypical for Barnes to- to express things. Usually the man was always carefully arranging his face and his tone in a neutral, blank expression. Like he never allowed himself to feel- or worse, had forgotten how to… Except with Steve.  
   
Slowly, Sam grinned. He had found a way to make Bucky interact with other humans -at least with him.  
   
“You can say that all you want, Barnes, but I’m Steve’s true BFF.”  
   
“Seriously, Sam?” Steve groaned.  
   
Bucky only ignored him and snorted, “We’ll see, Wilson.”  
   
———————  
   
The next morning, Sam was surprised to see not only Steve, but also Bucky joining him for their morning run.  
   
At first, Sam didn’t link it to the event of the day before, but when both serum enhanced men were fresh as ever when Sam himself was sweating like a pig, Bucky, under the hood of his sweater, smirked, “Hey Stevie, wanna do another lap?”  
   
Steve, ever so considerate and breath just slightly quickened, glanced at Sam, “I think we should call it quits.”  
   
Bucky rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. You’re chickening out, I get it.”  
   
Steve’s eyebrows shot to his hairline and he exclaimed indignantly, “What?! Of course not!”  
   
“So come on,” Bucky taunted, “Now that you have someone to keep with you on your runs, you might as well make use of it.”  
   
Sam, between two ragged breaths, couldn’t help but feel like it was less a challenge for Steve but for himself. “I think you’re too tired and just don’t want to be surpassed by your best friend,” Bucky casually stated.  
   
… The little shit.  
   
Barnes evidently remembered Steve well, because the blond’s eyes narrowed, “Oh yeah?”  
   
Barnes bit his lip like he wanted to bite back a smile-and whoa, Barnes, smiling? That was rare.  
   
Steve didn’t catch onto Bucky’s game, “We go in three, two, one…”  
   
Just when both super soldiers fled in a cloud of dust, Barnes had the balls to shout, “Sorry Wilson, not everybody can keep up with him!”  
   
That bratty little…  
   
_Okay, Barnes_ , Sam thought. _The game is on._  
   
———————  
   
The next time it happened, it was three weeks later. Sam was just out of the shower after sparring with Natasha - loose sweatpants, bare torso and towel still wet on his shoulders -when he spotted his blond friend drawing. “Hey, man. What are you sketching?” Sam asked.  
   
Steve lifted his head, smiling, “Hey Sam. Not much, just a bit of practice.”  
   
“Can I see?” The drawings were of hands, in various positions and different angles. Sam whistled, impressed, “Damn, you should have been an artist or something. They’re really good.”  
   
Steve blushed, visibly embarrassed, “Thanks.”  
   
“Steve has always been an artist.”  
   
Sam startled, “Jesus! Barnes, stop creeping like that.”  
   
Bucky looked at Sam with narrowed eyes, (seriously, it had to be the way the Winter Soldier looked at his victims), and shrugged, “’M not creeping. You just didn’t hear me.” He took the sketchpad from Sam’s hands, looked at it and smiled kindly, “you’re right, though. These are really good.”  
   
Steve took it back, starting to blush, “Yeah, yeah. Thanks.”  
   
“Not as good as his landscapes, though,” Sam noticed, “You ever see those?”  
   
Bucky nodded, “Yeah, some of them. They’re nice. Especially the one of New York’s sunset in winter.”  
   
Steve chuckled, “Okay, thanks but really, stop it. ‘S embarrassing.”  
   
“Aw, Steve, are we making you flush?” Sam teased.  
   
“They’re not that good…” Steve brushed off.  
   
“Totally are,” Bucky cut in, “but hey, landscapes are his favourites.”  
   
Sam pounced at that, “Sorry for you, Barnes, but Steve likes portraits better. He’s always drawing them.”  
   
Bucky glared at him. “Just because he draws more portraits doesn’t mean he likes them better than landscapes. Right, Stevie?”  
   
Steve rolled his eyes, “No, seriously? Again?”  
   
“Wilson can’t stand that I know you better than him. Not my fault.”  
   
“You wish, Barnes.”  
   
Both men were in a staring contest, but there was the shadow of a grin on Sam’s lips. Finally, Bucky turned his head toward the source of the conflict, “So, Steve? What’s your favourite?”  
   
Steve pinched the bone of his nose “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”  
   
“Nope, not at all Rogers,” Sam chirped cheerfully, “tell him the truth so I can rub it in his face.”  
   
“I’ll be the one who’s gonna rub it in your face when you finally understand I know him better. So? Landscape or portrait?”  
   
The blond shrugged, “I don’t know, both? Both is good.”  
   
“There has to be one you prefer,” Bucky insisted.  
   
Sam prodded, “Yeah, like, if you were under a spell and could only draw one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be, landscapes or portraits?”  
   
“A sp- okay, that’s going too far,” Steve stated, getting up out of his chair, “I’m gonna go see Wanda, you two keep me out of your little contest.”  
   
“Aw c’mon man!” Sam cried, “You really want us to drag it out for days? Because we will, Steve!”  
   
As if he had felt the impending catastrophe, Steve instantly shivered. “Okay, but you promise after this, you’ll stop acting like kids?”  
   
“Yeah, yeah: shoot it.”  
   
 “Err. If I really, _really_ had to pick one, I’d say portraits.”  
   
Sam’s triumphant smile felt even brighter in front of Bucky’s scowl.  
   
———————  
   
The third time it happened, it had been days without another petty argument and Bucky was being far more open with his personality. He was happier -more stable- Sam would have said. And no big deal but Sam was the one who restarted it.  
   
The team was up for a movie night, a tradition they couldn’t honour for some time, due to a prolific increase of mad men/aliens/general catastrophe. Jesus, couldn’t all the evil things take a day off for once?  
   
When the heroes finally had the luxury of a bit of time for themselves, (even Thor had been able to make it to Midgard), the movie night had been an implicit agreement.  
   
So they all stacked in the living room after way too much pizza to be healthy, when Sam came in with two huge bowls of popcorn -one sugary, the other salty. He spotted the only free space on the couch, next to Steve, and went to fall into it when Bucky, quick as a snake, slumped on it right before Sam could sit.  
   
Barnes had the nerve to smirk and passed his right arm around Steve’s shoulders, looking extremely pleased with himself.  
   
“Seriously, man?” Sam whined.  
   
“Yup,” Bucky said, popping the ‘p’.  
   
“Don’t be such a jerk, Buck,” Steve said, though without doing anything substantial to remove him.  
   
“’M not, I just have more right than him to be here.”  
   
“You’re a little shit, is what you are,” Sam accused sternly, “C’mon, I made popcorn!”  
   
“And I’m thankful for that,” the sniper said, grabbing a handful and throwing it in his own triumphant mouth.  
   
“Cut it out, you two,” Natasha ordered from the other couch, her eyes never leaving the screen.  
   
And when Natasha ordered something, you did what she said.  
   
With a grunt, Sam plopped down on the (very comfortable thanks to the plush carpet, but still) floor, next to Wanda who was cajoling Dummy, Butterfingers, and You into settling down. Destiel, wanting some petting himself, mewled and rubbed his body, tail curling, against Sam’s hip. Grudgingly, he took the little ball of fur and started to stroke it. “At least there’s someone here who loves me,” he murmured.  
   
“Shut up, Sam, the movie’s starting,” the ex-assassin chided.  
   
Sam honest to God was tempted to throw popcorn at Bucky’s face in the dark.  
   
———————  
   
The fourth time it happened, it was in a whole other context.  
   
The three of them had been called away on a nasty mission. The kind that they weren’t really looking forward to: a bunch of HYDRA’s men had attacked an embassy and had taken a politician hostage in a tall building. They had been called in urgency and when arriving, had to fight off three dozen of HYDRA’s soldiers. Which was a lot, even for them.  
   
They succeeded in saving the hostage and Sam had been tasked to bring him back to Natasha, whom had arrived later as her job was getting the politician back to the Tower where he would be safe.  
  
“You coming?” she asked once Sam had delivered the still shocked man.  
   
“No, gonna get back up to help Steve and Bucky!” he replied. Both his teammates were still fighting the remaining enemies and even though Sam knew they would be fine alone, it would be easier and quicker if he went back to land a hand.  
   
Natasha nodded. “Okay, I’ll come back as soon as he’s safe,” she said while flicking her chin toward the politician’s trembling form.  
   
“Alright then. Going back!”  
   
He had deployed his wings and was flying up the 23 rd floor -where they had found the hostage and where he had left the super soldier- when one of the bay windows burst open and someone had fallen out with it.  
   
It took him less than a second to recognise who it was, (that, and the “STEVE!” shouted by Barnes helped).  
   
“Got him!” Sam screamed while speeding upward. He caught the blond and flew back up, “Shit Steve, you’re far heavier than you look!” he winced.  
   
“I’m okay, Buck!” the Captain shouted back before panting, “Thanks, Sam.”  
   
They made it back to the 23rd floor and were welcomed by the sight of Bucky repeatedly punching one of the HYDRA agents in what was left of his face. With his metal fist.  
   
Visibly, he was pissed.  
   
Another goon went for Bucky exposed back. “Barnes, be-”  
   
With all the Winter Soldier’s coldness, Bucky grasped the man he was punching and threw him at the one who had tried to attack him from behind. He turned around, kicking another man and snarled, “Steve, you stupid oblivious fucking punk! What if Wilson hadn’t caught you?!”  
   
Steve threw his shield at one of the assailants, “Shut it Buck, I had him on the rop-”  
   
“LIKE HELL YOU DID!”  
   
Sam, between fighting the last remaining agents, winced. He didn’t envy being the one on the receiving end of Barnes’ anger.  
   
They were done before Natasha came back, but Bucky was still roaring, scolding Steve.  
   
“And what was I supposed to do?!” Steve yelled, throwing his hands up.  
   
“NOT jump from the fucking 23rd floor you absolute moron! What if Sam hadn’t caught you?”  
   
“C’mon, I would have survived, I’ve jumped from far higher-“  
   
That was clearly not the right thing to say, because Bucky’s nostrils flared and he clutched Steve by his collar. If they weren’t 100% sure Bucky was rid off the Winter Soldier, Sam would have jumped right in, and even knowing that, he was ready to intervene. But before he could, Barnes leaned in, hissed something in Steve’s ear that made the blond blush and gulp, then released him.  
   
Bucky walked over to Sam and held his gaze, “Thanks man. I don’t know how this idiot would have survived without you.” He gestured to a sheepish looking Steve with his thumb.  
   
Sam chuckled, “No need for that, pal.”  
   
Steve joined them, “No, really. Thanks Sam.”  
   
“Hey, no one’s hurt, we kicked the bad guy’s asses, that’s all that matters.” Sam casually threw his arm around Steve and ruffled the blond’s hair. “Besides, I knew you’d fall for me one day, and I’m always there to have my best guy back!”  
   
And just like that, Bucky’s gratitude became pinched and he was back to glaring at Sam. He grabbed at Steve’s arm and pulled him away from Sam and closer to him. “ _I_ would have jumped to catch _my_ best guy first if there hadn’t been an asshole that tried to shoot him during his fall.”  
   
Ah. Might explain Bucky’s furious metal-fist punch when they’d gotten back.  
   
Steve tried to shrug Barnes off, “Alright now, you don’t need to hold me all mama bear like-”  
   
“Don’t make it worse, you’re in enough trouble as it is, punk,” Bucky said flatly.  
   
Sam thought he saw Steve’s ears turn pinkish, but he wasn’t sure, because at that moment, Tony’s voice in their comms was asking them to get their asses back at the Tower ASAP.  
   
Once they were on their way, the super soldiers in one car and him with Natasha in another, Sam shot the redhead with a crooked, amused smirk. “What’s so funny?” he asked, curiously.  
   
She just shook her head. “Nothing. I just wonder who’s the most obvious between you blind men.”  
  
Sam blinked, confused, “What?”  
   
But Natasha only smiled knowingly.  
   
———————  
   
The day after that, around 7:00am, Sam was surprised to not find Steve already in the kitchen. It was unusual of the Captain to be late for their morning jog. Usually they both met up around 6:45am, left together for the Lincoln Memorial and did laps for two hours before heading back to the Tower. Rogers was more often than not the one waiting for him, and had never been late. He had always texted Sam before if he had to cancel, so that was very unusual.  
   
Sam hesitated. He didn’t want to risk waking Bucky, so he couldn’t knock on their shared apartment door. He didn’t know if Barnes slept on the couch or in the guest room. He settled for texting Steve.  
   
To : S. ROGERS  
Wilson (07:03:46 AM): Hey Rogers ! Sleeping in?  
   
Sam took advantage of this time to drink a glass of milk. Maybe Steve hadn’t heard his clock. The sound of his phone should wake him.  
   
**Wilson (07:04:27 AM): You wouldn’t be standing up your best pal, would you?**  
**Wilson (07:05:18 AM): Or you’re afraid that I’ll beat your running record??**  
**Wilson (07:05:59 AM): Cause we both know I totally would.**  
   
Still nothing. Sam started to worry a bit. After all, they were never safe from an enemy sucker-punch attack. He forced himself to stay cool. His teammate was just a bit late, it was unusual but hey, even super enhanced humans were still humans. No need to overthink, now. Only if the blond didn’t pick up he’d start panicking.  
   
**Wilson (07:06:34 AM): Are you sick?**  
**Wilson (07:07:01): And here I was, planning on making you sweat and tiring you out! I’m disappointed, young man!**  
   
Still nothing. Anxiety started to nip at Sam’s guts.  
   
**Wilson (07:07:59 AM): Steve, seriously. Why aren’t you picking up? Is something wrong?**  
   
Nothing. Sam kept texting, his palms growing slightly sweaty.  
   
**Wilson (07:08:13 AM): I swear to God Steve, I’m going to come in and I don’t care if I wake Bucky up or if you’re sleeping naked or whatever!!!**  
   
He was about to ask JARVIS to check on Steve’s floor, (if there were more than two bodies, traces of intrusion, the vital signals), when finally, Sam’s mobile phone rang. He answered the call promptly but to his utter surprise, it wasn’t Steve’s voice on the phone.  
   
“Hey Sam,” Bucky prompted. He didn’t sound alarmed so things were most likely okay, but Sam wanted to make sure.  
   
“Bucky? Hey, is Steve okay? He didn’t come down this morning and he wasn’t answering his pho- wait, why do you have his phone?”  
   
The was a rustling sound, and something muffled.  
   
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Barnes kept going, cool as ever. “He’s exhausted, in fact, we did some **physical training** after yesterday’s mission, you know, best friends **going at it** and all.”  
   
Sam rolled his eyes, smiling. Seriously, Bucky was still rambling about this childish I’m-Steve’s-bestie battle? But hey, never let it be said that Sam Wilson wasn’t one to call dibs.  
   
“We all know I’m Rogers’s best pal, man,” he teased, “Aww, it’s too bad, I was planning on making him all hot and bothered. I’m sure I would have surpassed him today, I could feel it! So I take it I’ll be alone for today?”  
   
“Yup, sorry Wilson,” Barnes responded, “He’s a bit **tied up** at the moment, he **can’t leave the bed**. **Can’t even speak** , I think I’ve **worn him out**.” More of the indistinctive muffled sounds.  
   
Sam frowned. What was Barnes doing? Then a strange sound, and Sam could have sworn he heard a gasp- okay, what the fuck was going on?! “You sure everything’s alright?” He insisted. Something was… weird.  
   
Through the phone, Sam heard something muted, like very faints thumps. “Yeah, sorry,” Barnes’s voice sounded a bit tighter, “ **My hands are a bit busy** right now. And don’t worry about Steve, he’s fine. He tried to get up for your run but it was really **hard** , and when remember how **long** it could last, he realised **he couldn’t come-”**  
   
More of the muffled and thumping sounds -Okay, what the fuck was going on?!  
   
“Buc-”  
   
“Anyway,” Barnes cut him off, suddenly in a rush, “Gotta go, don’t worry for Steve, I checked on him, he should be better this afternoon. See ya!”  
   
And just like that, Barnes hung up.  
   
Sam blinked. What the hell had just happened? Something was… strange.  
                                                                                         
Shrugging, he grabbed his bottle of water, and headed for the elevator. Well, it looked like he’d be doing a solo one, today.  
   
———————  
   
The final blow happened at the beginning of December. The whole team was decorating the living room together: garlands everywhere, wreaths, and what had to be the largest Christmas tree in New York. Tony had even hung an “S” in gold and red at the top, instead of the traditional star.  
   
Natasha, busy with the Christmas baubles, cocked an elegant eyebrow. “Seriously, Tony?”  
   
Pepper, handing her the ornaments with the help of Dummy and You, (Butterfingers had been relegated to “supervisor” after the third smashed globe), glared at her boyfriend. “If you leave it there, I swear to God, Tony, you’ll spend Christmas outside in the cold.”  
   
Sam chuckled, “Really Pepper? You’d throw your man out of his own house?”  
   
“Oh yes she would!” Tony sighed dramatically, “Once she did it while it was night and I was only in my boxers and under-shirt… In February!”  
   
“Yeah yeah, I’m a terrible monster, we all know that,” Pepper had rolled her eyes fondly, before kissing Stark’s cheek.   
   
“I disagree,” Rhodey intervened, “You totally deserved it Tony.” The three bots chirped in approval.  
   
Tony clasped a hand on his arc reactor, “You wound me, Rhodey. And you three,” (he pointed a stern finger at the trio of bots), “I’m very disappointed. That’s not way to treat your dad, I didn’t raise you like that. Tssk.”  
   
A timer beeped somewhere in the distance. “Cookies are ready!” Clint exclaimed with glee. Nat swat him on the head, “Aw! What was that for?”  
   
“Stop being such a kid,” she chimed, then dropped on her knees to help Destiel entangle himself from a garland.  
   
“Plus we all know you’d eat them all straight from the oven if you we didn’t stop you, Barton” Bucky smirked, teasing.  
   
Steve laughed “Yeah, well, burnt cookies aren’t the best either, I’ll get them out.”  
   
As he was heading for the kitchen, Bucky headed after him. “Like hell, Steve! You’ll be just as bad as Clint if we leave you, you sugar addict!”  
   
Sam smiled, fond. It was like a family -a big, weird, superhero family, but a family all the same. That was nice, though. Most of them had lost their close ones and could do with that kind of affection.  
   
He looked around the place and felt a warm spread of happiness in his stomach. There was such a comforting, easy domesticity in it, he could hardly believe it. Not all teams were as close as theirs was, far from it. Even teams older than them. For one second, he imagined HYDRA’s agents attending to Christmas in their bunker and snorted a laugh.  
   
Wanda, using her power to levitate the garlands to the higher branches of the pine, asked, “Can someone fetch me a pair of scissors? I think this one,” (she gestured to a blue garland), “will dangle if we don’t cut it a bit.”  
   
“I’ll do it!” Sam had answered.  
   
He went towards the kitchen to get the scissors, a smile still tugging his features, then stopped promptly with a choked gasp.  
   
There, inside the kitchen, were Steve and Bucky.  
   
Making out.  
   
There were no other words for it. Steve’s back was pressed against the fridge, his arms thrown around Bucky’s shoulders to draw the other man closer if that was even possible. Barnes was snuggled -again, no other word- against the blond, his metal forearm propped against the refrigerator near Steve’s head, one leg sloped between the Captain’s slightly parted ones, his flesh hand resting on the blond’s cheek while rubbing gently at his cheekbone with his thumb.  
   
Kissing.  
   
And that for SURE was not a little peck, not with the slow glide of their lips and the little wet sounds it made. A real kiss, close eyes, tongues and all.  
   
They must have heard him, because they stopped, “Oh, hey, Sam,” Steve chuckled, a bit flushed, “Needed something?”  
   
Sam spent three long seconds with his eyes probably popping out of his skull like a goldfish, before blinking rapidly. “Er, yeah, uh. The scissors.”  
   
Bucky spotted them on the counter, next to the plate of steaming cookies, and handed them to Sam. “There you go, man.”  
   
“Th-thanks dude,” Sam grabbed the tool then rushed back to the living room.  
   
“What took you so long?” Wanda asked.  
   
“And why does your face look like you just stepped into a Disney porno?” added Tony suspiciously.  
   
“The-they- Steve and Bucky are dating!” Sam blurted.  
   
His teammates just looked at him expectantly, like he should carry on.  
   
Finally, Pepper cleared her throat, “Er, yes. As they did several weeks ago. If not months.”  
   
Sam’s felt his eyes widen so much he wondered how they didn’t pop out of his skull for the second time in a few short minutes. “What?!”  
   
Bruce, whom had remained quiet, said, “Dating. They’re in a relationship based on intimacy, desire and love. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”  
   
“A prob- what?! No! Not at all! I don’t care, I’m happy for them even, but it’s-it’s just- where did it come from?! I hadn’t seen that coming!”  
   
Clint cut him off. “Wait, wait, wait. You mean you didn’t know?”  
   
“Of course not!”  
   
Sam found himself faced with six pairs of eyes -he was almost tempted to say nine, because even You, Dummy and Butterfingers had turned their “heads” toward him- judging him.  
   
“Seriously?! I was the only one who hadn’t guessed?!”  
   
Tony burst into laughter. Sam winced. Had it been this obvious?  
   
“Well they weren’t being especially subtle about it,” Bruce pointed out.  
   
“You’re kidding? I’ve never seen them holding hands, or kissing-”  
   
“Oh, they do,” Natasha smirked, “You’re just never paying attention.”  
   
“Seriously, Wilson,” Tony managed to articulate in between his laughter, “You of all people should have been able to tell! You never guessed why Buckaroo went all _Grr Gonna Kill You With My Murder Eyes Grr_ when you played best pals with Capsicle?”  
   
Sam blanched.  
   
He realised three things at once.  
   
One, the fucking Winter Soldier –the most deadly assassin in the world- had thought he was flirting with/trying to steal his man.  
   
Two, apparently there had been a few times recently that his life expectancy had been close to being drastically decreased and he hadn’t seen it. Thanks, lucky star.  
   
Three…  
_“He’s exhausted … physical training … going at it and all … can’t leave the bed ... can’t even speak … worn him out … hands are a bit busy right now…really hard… and long … come…”_  
   
Oh Gosh.  
 

 

**Author's Note:**

> For the people who haven't read A Lesson in Seduction: Bucky and Steve are engaged into a D/S relationship in which Bucky doms. I let you re-read hsi and Sam's exchange on the phone knowing that, plus the fact taht he was still very pissed at Steve's recklesness (don't worry tho, Steve loved every single seconds of it).
> 
> I might write more, maybe the smutty scene in a second chapter or continue the serie if the inspiration strikes. So if you guys have ideas, don't be shy to share !
> 
> Also, there are 2 references to 2 others fandoms, congratulation if you spotted them !
> 
>  
> 
> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://aliceinmarveland.tumblr.com/) !
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks again for reading !


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